DITCH Artificial Sweeteners: Study Shows They’re Toxic to the Gut

Healthy Living

A new study confirms that artificial sweeteners are bad for you, with research showing that products like sucralose (Splenda) are toxic to the gut.

Scientists at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel, and Nanyang Technological University in Singapore looked at the effects of FDA-approved artificial sweeteners and sports supplements on E. coli bacteria and found that they could have toxic effects on the bug, and therefore human health.

Ariel Kushmaro, a professor at Ben-Gurion University and author of the study, said:

“Artificial sweeteners have become increasingly controversial due to their questionable influence on consumers’ health. They are found in most foods, and many consume this added ingredient without their knowledge.”

Analyzing These 6 Artificial Sweeteners

In the study, 6 artificial sweeteners went under the team’s microscope:

Aspartame

Sucralose

Saccharine

Neotame

Advantame

Acesulfame potassium-k

In addition, Kushmaro and her colleagues analyzed 10 sports supplements containing the sweeteners to determine if they had toxic effects on E. coli.

Even if you purposefully avoid artificial sweeteners, chances are you’re consuming them without realizing it. Some brands of whole wheat bread sold in the supermarket are sweetened with sucralose, the main ingredient in Splenda. Pedialyte contains acesulfame potassium-k, meaning you could be unknowingly damaging your children’s microbiome. And “diet” sodas often contain aspartame or sucralose.

And don’t be fooled by the term “natural sweeteners” on food labels. The researchers also found artificial sweeteners in products like microwave popcorn, fruit juice, yogurt, and numerous other items with “natural sweeteners” on their labels. It’s easy for food manufacturers to sneak artificial sweeteners into your food, because the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) doesn’t have a legal definition of the word “natural.”

The authors write in the journal Moleculesthat the gut microbiome “plays a key role in human metabolism,” and artificial sweeteners can “affect host health, such as inducing glucose intolerance.” [2]

Glucose intolerance is an umbrella term that refers to the metabolic conditions which result in higher-than-normal blood glucose. [3]

How Artificial Sweeteners Affect Gut Bacteria

The team wanted to know how consumption of these foods affected E. coli for a specific reason. [1]

Kushmaro explained:

“E. coli is an indigenous gastrointestinal microorganism and serves as a model for the gut bacteria. The indigenous gastrointestinal tract microflora has profound effects on the anatomical, physiological, and immunological development of the host.”

All of the sweeteners had a toxic effect on E. coli, and just 1 milligram per milliliter of the sugar substitutes was all it took to see the changes. Sucralose was found to be the most toxic of the 6 products. [1] [2]

Other previously-published studies have suggested that artificial sweeteners can lead to obesity and diabetes in mice, and may worsen gut issues stemming from Crohn’s disease. [1]

The study showed that the mice treated with neotame, found in NutraSweet, had different metabolic patterns than the untreated rodents. Furthermore, the scientists noted a decrease in several important genes found in the human gut. [2]

What’s more, concentrations of several fatty acids, lipids, and cholesterol were higher in mice treated with neotame than in those not.

Post written byMike Barrett:Mike is the co-founder, editor, and researcher behind Natural Society. Studying the work of top natural health activists, and writing special reports for top 10 alternative health websites, Mike has written hundreds of articles and pages on how to obtain optimum wellness through natural health.

I was a little concerned about the graphic posted with this article. It shows two packets (SweetLeaf and Truvia) both of whom are makers of Stevia which, from all I’ve read, is one of the “safe” sweeteners. You don’t mention Stevia in your article, but the graphic would imply that this is toxic as well. Can you clarify? We’ve been using 100% pure, organic stevia for years in our home, so I want to be sure this is safe for us.

Good question. As an insulin dependent diabetic, I consumed tons of this toxic crap (Aspartame) for decades before it came out how harmful it is. As for Stevia, I too Believe that it is ‘all natural’ by the real definition of the term, not what the Chemical industry claims as ‘natural’. Irregardless of whether Stevia is totally safe for human consumption, I have read where it is used by females in South/Central America where it comes from to Prevent pregnancies, as a birth control substance, if that may concern you.
And there really is a very interesting criminal conspiracy going back to the 1970’s by Searle Pharmaceutical who first got Aspartame on the market, if you care to do the research. Donald Rumsfeld was CEO of that company at the time that it was allowed to be sold to consumers in the USA.

Real stevia should be OK, but you *have* to read the labels–I believe Truvia *does* include sucralose (some other “stevia” sweeteners do as well). Sweet Leaf is fine (I just went to check the box on the pantry shelf!) as is the Trader Joe’s liquid stevia. Another possibility is monk fruit sweetener–it seems to be more expensive (and I wish it didn’t all apparently have to be sourced from Red China!) but you use tiny amounts, and it doesn’t have any aftertaste, which I get even from stevia–so I use monk fruit sweetener in our from-scratch hot cocoa.

I was horrified to learn in 2013 that the International Dairy Foods Association had petitioned FDA for permission to put aspartame in all dairy products — milk, yogurt, sour cream, cheese, ice cream, etc. It was to be put in dairy foods without labeling its presence or by labeling it just as ‘sweetener’ or some such innocuous name. Not only does aspartame affect the gut, it’s also a neurotoxin.

Alarmingly – but typically – the request for public comments asked the Wrong questions. FDA wanted to know whether the labeling (non-labeling, actually) of aspartame would “mislead” the public. The appropriate question would’ve been: Do you want the neurotoxin aspartame in your food?

Despite many attempts since 2013, I still haven’t been able to learn whether the petition (Docket #FDA-2009-P-0147) was granted; no one at FDA seems to want to reply. — Does anyone happen to know?

I remember reading all about that myself when they stated they would allow it in regular cow’s milk without putting it on the label. I have since gone totally Organic, rarely consume milk anyway, but honestly, do not Expect the FDA to be concerned with the health of consumers.
I cannot remember the names of the two different directors of the FDA appointed during the Obama administration (“Folks deserve to know what’s in their food” lol) but one had been the VP of advertising for Monsanto and the other from the Chemical industry. What I’m saying is NO Government agency is there to protect consumers…You must be your own advocate.
And I believe it was around 2010 when Harvard University Medical Center published a report declaring Aspartame as a Neurotoxin. But they’ve been dumbing us down for how many generations now???